Your skin is your largest organ in the body and it’s also an elimination organ, and can release toxins from the body. A healing bath using the right combination of ingredients can really help with the detoxification process. Read more below to find out my favorite detox bath recipes!

All information in this article is for educational purposes only.

It is not for the diagnosis, treatment, prescription or cure of any disease or health condition.

For the vision board: This is the perfect outdoor bath!

Detox Bath Preparation

You can either use a bathtub for a full body soak or a rectangular bucket to soak just the feet for your detox bath. A foot bath works really well for either elderly folks or for people who are too ill or injured to get in and out of a tub. If you are using a bathtub, make sure the tub is clean before you prepare your bath.

Detox Bath Recipe #1: For a detox reaction or healing crisis

If you’re experiencing a healing crisis on your detox, take a restorative bath. It’s one of the best and fastest way to reduce the detox reaction. While preparing the bath, connect your phone or tablet to youtube for some inspiring Louise Hay or Esther Hicks audio. In the bath, repeat your positive affirmations out loud. This can really help to dissolve any fear or worry with what you are feeling. Always keep the mind on the right track while the body heals.

Next, prepare a glass and bottle of distilled water to keep next to your bath. Drinking distilled water during a detox reaction can greatly help pass the crisis faster. Distilled water binds to heavy metals and toxins to safely release them through the kidneys and urine.

Add the ingredients below to the bath. Soak in the tub for a minimum of 20 minutes (40 minutes is better). If you don’t have distilled water to drink, then prepare a cup of organic chamomile tea to enjoy during or after your bath.

If you’re still not feeling your best after the bath, try a castor oil pack on the liver or a coffee enema to further assist the body in detoxification.

Detox Bath Recipe #2: For clear skin

This healing bath is especially good for rashes, itchy skin, hives, outbreaks, acne, inflammation, red patches or even puffiness in the ankles, hands and feet. Remember, your skin is the largest organ in the body, and it’s also an elimination organ, meaning it helps the body release toxins. Any affliction in the skin is a sign that your body is not eliminating well. This bath is designed to open up the pores in the skin and help speed up the detox or removal of toxins.

Prepare a bath of warm water. Don’t make the water too hot as it can scald the skin. You should be able to comfortable submerge your entire hand in the water. That way, you know the temperature is ok. If you want to also give an extra conditioning treatment to your hair, then apply organic castor oil to your hair, gently rubbing it in, before you enter the bath. Rinse and wash the hair thoroughly after.

Prepare a cup of fresh parsley or dried uva ursi tea to drinking during or after your bath.

For any residual inflammation, soreness or itchy feeling after your bath, try applying cold liquid bentonite clay on the skin once its dry. The cool feeling helps to soothe any fire or burn and the clay naturally draws toxins out of the skin.

Detox Bath #3: For muscle aches and pains

A healing bath can provide wonderful relief from muscle aches, pains and stiff neck and menstrual pain too. Before you enter the bath, use a dry skin brush to gently massage the lymphatic system. Brush the skin using gentle strokes. If you are having pain, then the direction of your brush strokes should be away from the heart (towards the hands and feet).

This is a question that I’ve been asked a lot over the years: “Can my eyes change colors from doing a detox, juice fast, master cleanse or even from becoming vegan/vegetarian?”

The other question that a lot of people have is: “Should my eyes change colors if I am doing a lot of detox, and if they are not changing, does that mean the cleanse or master fast isn’t working?”

All information in this article is for educational purposes only.

It is not for the diagnosis, treatment, prescription or cure of any disease or health condition.

Iridology and Detox/Fasting/Cleansing

First, let me address the first question; that is, can the eyes change? The short answer is: Yes. (The long answer is: No.) Keep reading to find out why!

What can happen in certain eye colors is that layers of coloration can dissipate after the body gets cleaner, whether it’s from a detox or positive change in diet. The most common color changes you may experience are:

Green eye turning blue

Grey eye turning blue

Brown eye turning green

Let me explain each one.

1. Green eye turning blue. The green hue usually occurs from a buildup of uric acid in the body. In Iridology, we would call this a “uric acid subtype by color.” During cleansing or a significant change in diet, old, accumulated uric acid waste may be released through the kidneys and skin. Often times this person had a history of skin problems before. The skin is sometimes called the “3rd kidney,” because when the kidneys are overworked, they will often give their excess work to the skin. The real problem behind the scenes is the kidneys and poor elimination of metabolic wastes. Once the uric acid is released, the yellow hue on the eye may lessen, making a green eye appear more blue in color. (It was always a blue eye actually, which is why the long answer is: No. More on that below….)

2. Grey eye turning blue. A grey eye may have an over acid condition in the body. In Iridology, we would call this an “over acid subtype by color.” From a distance, the eye looks grey but when you look up close, you can see more white fibers on top of the blue fibers. This may indicate an imbalance of pH in the body. Usually it comes from too many acid-forming foods in the diet (such as coffee, wheat, refined sugar, processed foods), and not enough alkaline-forming foods (fresh fruits and vegetables). Prescription medication can also make the body acidic. A chronic over-acid condition in the body creates a tendency to be more stiff in the joints and a higher risk for a weakened immune system. Many people will suffer from chronic acid reflux or GERD for years, not knowing that the acid problem they have is actually a huge red warning flag for their health. The body is trying to expel the excess acid waste on its own! Eventually you may be more likely to have another health problem down the road, whether it be arthritis, gastritis, diverticulitis, auto-immune disease or even cancer. When a person switches to an alkaline diet (more fruits and vegetables) or does any type of detox that flushes out acid waste, those white fibers in the eyes may start to fade. The end result is that the blue fibers underneath start showing more, and the eye appears to have changed in color, from grey to blue.

3. Brown eye turning green. This is probably the most profound change you may see, and that’s a brown eye changing color to green, or even in some cases blue. How is it even possible? The “brown” eye is a “mixed eye color” in Iridology, or a Biliary constitution. It’s not actually a true brown eye. While from a distance it can appear more brown in color, when you look up close you will see yellow, orange, brown and sometimes even blue fibers in the eye. In a true brown eye, you will see only brown up close. The “mixed eye” is what I call a “mood ring eye” or a “cat eye.” It’s very changeable in color, depending on the lighting and background colors. Different conditions in lighting may pick up different colors in the eye, making it appear more or less yellow, orange, etc. My clients with this eye color will sometimes tell me they have a “honey colored eye.” During the process of cleansing, as the kidneys strengthen and the overall toxicity lessens, these darker colors may start to break up in the eye. The yellow and blue fibers remaining may make the eye appear green. In some cases, the yellow fibers may also lessen in color, leaving more blue fibers and giving the look of a blue eye.

You may be wondering, “Why is the long answer “No”?” In Iridology, there is no such thing as a green eye, a grey eye or an amber, light brown or honey-colored eye. There are only 2 natural eye colors: blue (Lymphatic constitution) and true brown (Hematogenic constitution). Those honey eyes are known are the “mixed eye” color, or Biliary constitution. Biliary eyes can also be brown, darker brown, green or orange in color. (Note: it’s not always easy to identify the difference between a Lymphatic and Biliary person and always better to consult with a Certified Iridologist.) In Iridology, a “green eye” is a blue eye with a yellow hue (it could be uric acid but may also be other things as well/uric acid is the most common). The “grey eye” is a blue eye that may have toxicity in the colon or an over-acid subtype by color (it may also be other things as well). A “brown eye” may be a blue eye with several other subtypes by structure or color, making the eye appear brown in color from a distance. So, you can see how the eyes don’t really change in color after all; they just start showing their original, dominant color more. Of course, healing occurred still, and that’s what is most important!

As an experienced Iridologist, I can tell you many stories about eyes I’ve seen change over the years and health conditions that improved for people after fasting. Could it just be a coincidence? Maybe or maybe not!

Stomach enzymes may improve

Overall pH can may more alkaline

Uric acid may be released

Skin may show healing

Lymphatic system may clear

Blood may become cleaner and more active (more “chi energy in the body”)

Kidneys may strengthen

Colon may clear toxins/mucous

Liver may improve

Layers of toxic accumulation may release

Stress and old tension may be released

Even molecules of emotion may release!

Note: Iridology does NOT diagnose disease.

Many changes that may appear in the eye are too subtle for an untrained eye to see. Usually it will take at least 10 days of cleansing (and preferably more, up to 21 days is better) to see real changes in the iris. Don’t try to identify markers yourself, unless you are working with a qualified Iridologist. The reason why is that you may not catch all the important points to consider, and you may not understand how certain markers affect other markers in the eye. And of course, you probably won’t know which things should change first and which marks may take longer to change, if at all. That can set you up for unnecessary disappointment and/or unrealistic expectations in your healing.

That leads me to the final question: “Should my eyes change colors if I am doing a lot of detox, and if they are not changing, does that mean the cleanse or master fast isn’t working?”

Not everyone is going to experience a dramatic eye color change with their healing journey. That said, an Iridologist should be able to see some positive change still, even if it’s not a full change in eye color. Some markings in Iridology are inherent, meaning they will not change. Most important is to pay attention to how you feel and what your body is showing you. Are your energy levels better, has your sleep improved, are your eyes brighter in the whites (or sclera), is your mind sharper, has your body odor lessened, has your elimination improved? Are you feeling happier and more at peace with yourself? If you’ve answered yes to most of those questions, then your detox program has worked and you should consider it a success, regardless of your eye color!

One more important point, not to be underestimated. There are 2 parts to healing, don’t forget: 1/2 is elimination and the other 1/2 is rebuilding. Too often people get locked into the detox-detox-detox phase and they forget to stop and rebuild. Too much elimination leads to a low vitamin, mineral and alkaline reserve. Other people swing back and forth from detox to retox. And the retox never involves clean eating or a consistently healthy diet. That can set a person up for deficiencies too. Those deficiencies will show up in the eyes. That person may expect their eyes to be perfect in an Iridology reading because they’ve done so much fasting, but I will see right away that the body is out of balance still. As the saying goes, “The eyes never lie.” In all my years of working with Iridology, I can definitely say that is very true!

Remember: Balance is the key to success in life. Good luck and happy detoxing!

Are you getting ready to do a detox, cleanse or juice fast and want to know how to prepare? A pre-cleanse is important to gently ease the body into the detox and minimize any cleansing reactions.

All information in this article is for educational purposes only.

It is not for the diagnosis, treatment, prescription or cure of any disease or health condition.

A good pre-cleanse is key for a great detox

Many people trick themselves into eating and drinking whatever they want before doing their cleanse because, in their mind, they are going to eliminate all those toxins out so why not indulge as much as possible right before? Wrong! Those are the very people who always suffer the worst through the detox, complaining of headaches, fatigue, nausea and even vomiting. The quality of your detox is directly proportional to the quality of your pre-cleanse. When you prepare the body in the right way, you will go deeper, faster, release more toxins and usually lose more weight in a shorter period of time.

If you plan to fast for 7 days, then ideally a 3-week or 21-day pre-cleanse is best. Try to have 500ml of Green Smoothie daily, either as a replacement for breakfast or as an afternoon snack. During that time, you should eliminate all coffee, wheat and refined sugar. See a gentle progression of elimination in the recommended pre-cleanse schedule below.

One of the best foods to add to your diet during your pre-cleanse is a daily Green Smoothie. This is a gentle way to increase your vitamin and mineral reserve so you go into your detox being mineral-sufficient, not mineral-deficient.

Remember: Each week, you’re adding another food category to eliminate. When you reach 1 week before your detox, you will have already eliminated all refined sugar, alcohol, wheat, gluten and coffee.

Having all the minerals your body needs allows the process of detox to rapidly increase. You will most likely start eliminating more mucoud plaque right away compared to other fasters who did not do any pre-cleanse. A daily Green Smoothie give you lots of chlorophyll (one of the most necessary elements for healing) and fiber (the colon’s natural broom for cleaning).

Even after you finish your detox, keep the daily Green Smoothie in your routine as a mini-detox and reboot every day. The fiber in the Green Smoothie should help you have healthy, daily bowel movements after your colon cleanse to keep your body clean and feeling great.

Are you looking for a fast & easy detox you can do at home? Check out my 3-Day Green Smoothie Detox in my new book: Green Smoothies for Dummies. You’ll get a chance to clean your kidneys, skin, colon and liver with specially designed recipes for each elimination organ. In just 3 days…yes! It’s totally possible!

In Green Smoothie for Dummies, I’ve created a beautiful 3-day Detox where each recipe focuses on a different organ of elimination, giving you a full-body cleanse in just 3 days!

Find plenty of other recipes and healthy tips too…everything from the best way to clean your blender to how to store your superfoods. I’ve created a “bible” for the best green smoothie making, and it’s all based on what I learned from teaching Green Smoothie classes for years. Every question that any student has ever asked me is in this book!

Understandably, it can be really frustrating to start eating better and still not feel your best. You might feel confused, discouraged or even angry that you are trying so hard and not seeing the results you want.

All information in this article is for educational purposes only.

It is not for the diagnosis, treatment, prescription or cure of any disease or health condition.

What happens if you start a new cleanse, supplement or detox product and find yourself feeling worse? Doesn’t feeling bad mean that you are having a detox reaction and you should “suffer through it?” And doesn’t foggy brain, fatigue, sugar cravings and rashes always mean you have candida? Definitely, no, or at the very least, mostly no.

Symptoms of a Detox Reaction vs. Allergic Reaction

I’ve been in this field for a long time and I want to share with you one of the biggest mistakes that people are making today in the world of detox and natural health: They are calling everything a detox reaction.

In my opinion, the most “over-diagnosed” and incorrect problem that people get labeled with when they’re eating healthy (especially high raw food or vegan) but still feeling bad is: 1) They have candida or 2) They are still detoxing. I’ll address the candida issue in another post, but I can tell you that in my experience of seeing well over 4,500 clients, 95+% of the time, both of these assessments are false.

Did you ever consider that you might actually just have a food intolerance or sensitivity to a food additive? Believe it or not, this happens much more than you could ever imagine. And, when you take the suspicious food out of your diet, you can feel better in a matter of days. Finally, you can start enjoying some real healthy bliss! Read on to understand the difference between a real detox reaction and a potential allergic reaction or an intolerance to a food or food additive.

What is a Detox Reaction

When your start to do a detox, as old, excess toxins flush out and unwanted bacteria, microbes and viruses die off, you can actually experience a temporary detox or cleansing reaction. Based on the work of Dr. Karl Herxheimer in the late 1800s, this temporary feeling of illness is known as the Herxheimer effect and is actually an intense sign of healing. These reactions can indicate that your body has started to cleanse itself as it quickly tries to catch up on the overload of toxins being released.

Symptoms of a Detox Reaction

Mild headaches, nausea, chills, sweating.

Fatigue, aching muscles.

Mucous, body odor, rashes.

Dizziness, weakness or even foggy brain.

Typical Length of a Detox Reaction

A detox reaction will last anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours. If you are experiencing a real “healing crisis,” normally that will last from 1 to 3 days total. Usually after the detox reaction, you feel amazingly better, and you will not have that symptom again. For example, you could feel chills or nausea or intense exhaustion, then a few hours later (or after an enema), feel totally energized.

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What is an Allergic Reaction or Intolerance

True allergic reactions are much more rare than intolerances but they’re definitely on the rise (thank Monsanto and GMO foods for that). According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there’s been a continued rise in allergic diseases in the industrialized world for over 50 years.

An allergic reaction occurs when your body sees a food such as shellfish, peanuts or wheat as a foreign body or allergen, and starts to attack it by creating antibodies and inflammation.

Symptoms of an Allergic Reaction or Intolerance

The symptoms of an allergic reaction can vary from mild to severe. If you are exposed to an allergen for the first time, your symptoms may be mild. These symptoms may get worse if you are repeatedly exposed to the allergen.

According to the Mayo Clinic, The most common food allergy signs and symptoms include:

Tingling or itching in the mouth.

Hives, itching or eczema.

Swelling of the lips, face, tongue and throat or other parts of the body.

Wheezing, nasal congestion or trouble breathing.

Abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea or vomiting.

Dizziness, lightheadedness or fainting.

If you have a food additive intolerance, such as an intolerance to Monosodium Glutamate, you can experience:

Headaches, chills, fatigue, aching muscles, dizziness.

Insomnia, sensitivity to light or sound.

Heart palpitations.

Fatigue (especially the following day).

Abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea or vomiting.

Hives, itching or eczema.

Swelling of the lips, eyes, face, tongue and throat or other parts of the body.

Wheezing, nasal congestion or constricted breathing.

Typical Length of a Food or Food Additive Allergy/Intolerance Reaction:

An intolerance or allergy can last indefinitely, especially if you continue to eat the food or use the product that you are intolerant to. The problem with “intolerances” is that they usually have a delayed reaction time and they don’t give nearly as severe a reaction as an “allergy.” That’s why they can easily go undiagnosed for years. After a reaction, you may feel temporarily better, but if you eat the suspect food again, you will have the exact same symptoms over and over and never find yourself feeling better.

As you can see from looking at the above lists, it can be easy for a novice to label a food allergy or intolerance incorrectly and call it a detox reaction – the symptoms are almost exactly the same! In rare cases when someone is taking too many detox supplements or doing too many detox protocols at once (far infrared sauna, colonics, zapper, parasite cleanse, heavy metal detox etc.), I recommend to slow down the detox itself and determine the best order and pace of detox for the individual.

In the old days of detox, almost 20 years ago, no one was doing this stuff and the people who were really knew what they were doing. In the world of detox today, there is a TON of misinformation out there. Someone who made 1 green juice or fasted for 3 days is suddenly on every forum as the guru of detox. As with everything, this is a blessing and a curse at the same time. It’s a blessing because more people are getting out there and trying a fast or cleanse for the first time and that is simply awesome. And I no longer get booed out of a room for talking about coffee enemas, lol! But it’s a curse because people are being misled down the wrongs roads.

What kind of foods can you be intolerant to?

You can react to certain fillers in supplements (like malodextrin); chlorella in your green powder blend, Miso soup, seaweed snacks, vegan butters, vegan mayonnaise, and pesticides. I’ve even had clients react to whole foods like tomato paste, sesame seeds or celery. Once we get that food out of the diet, the reaction goes away and then we know for sure that we’re dealing with a classic food intolerance and not a detox reaction. How does it work? I can usually identify which foods you need to remove after 25-30 minutes of Q&A about your symptoms, current diet or recent detox.

If it is a detox reaction, then a few things to get you through a healing crisis include: a castor oil pack, detox onion socks, epsom salt baths, activated charcoal, liquid bentonite clay, extra Vitamin C, magnesium, distilled water, prayer/meditation (to maintain an alkaline pH) and rest.

When your start to do a detox, juice fast or cleanse, you might expect to start feeling better right away. However, sometimes the exact opposite happens. As old, excess toxins flush out and unwanted bacteria, microbes and viruses die off, you can actually experience a temporary detox or cleansing reaction. You may suffer from mild headaches, nausea, chills, sweating, fatigue, aching muscles, mucous, body odor, rashes, dizziness, weakness or even foggy brain for a few hours or in some cases, a few days. Based on the work of Dr. Karl Herxheimer in the late 1800s, this temporary feeling of illness is known as the Herxheimer effect and is actually an intense sign of healing. These reactions can indicate that your body has started to cleanse itself as it quickly tries to catch up on the overload of toxins being released.

All information in this article is for educational purposes only.

It is not for the diagnosis, treatment, prescription or cure of any disease or health condition.

What is a Herxheimer Reaction, cleansing reaction and healing crisis?

In his book The Healing Crisis, Dr. Bruce Fife explains that the removal of disease-causing agents is the catalyst for both cleansing reactions and healing crises. He notes that, “most any harmless method that strengthens the body’s natural healing processes can induce a healing crisis. This could involve switching to better quality foods, taking homeopathic medicines, cleansing the colon, fasting, juicing, using healing herbs, massage therapy, acupuncture, reflexology, vitamin therapy, exercise, etc.”

Dr. Fife states that when you enter a cleansing process, “often chronic conditions from which you are suffering will temporarily get worse. If you suffer from arthritis, joint pain may increase. If you are troubled with chronic migraines, you may have terrible headaches. A psoriasis problem may run wild. Hemorrhoids may flair up. PMS may intensify. Allergies may get worse. Asthmatics may experience breathing difficulties. Blood pressure may increase. Any number of other symptoms may surface during this time that may appear unrelated to existing health conditions. Sometimes these conditions improve after the crisis. Sometimes it takes several crises to cleanse the offending toxins from the body and stimulate healing. At times, health problems can improve immediately after a crisis, and at other times, they improve gradually.”

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Cleansing Reaction

A cleansing reaction occurs any time your body is releasing toxins faster than it can eliminate them. For example, you may stir up an old piece of undigested food that was stuck in the colon, temporarily releasing bacteria and toxins into the bloodstream as the liver works to filter out the excess build-up. A cleansing reaction is usually a sign that the liver is a bit sluggish and not fully doing its job. This is also a sign that your body most likely needs regular cleansing every year and a long term change of diet to strengthen its immune system.

If you experience a cleansing reaction, you can try to help speed up the elimination of toxins by:

Usually a cleansing reaction will last a few hours at the most. I do not advise anyone to “tough it out” or suffer through the cleansing process. Consulting with a detox expert (like myself!) can help you make the best and safest detox plan so you don’t put added stress on your elimination organs – your liver, skin, kidneys, colon and lungs.

Healing Crisis

Having an actual healing crisis is more rare than a cleansing reaction. A true healing crisis occurs when the body has been getting stronger and cleaner and is a true sign of progress. A healing crisis may mimic any disease or condition you have had in the past, but it’s abbreviated, typically lasting from a few hours to a few days.

In the book The Healing Crisis, Dr. Fife offers simple suggestions on how to listen to your body during a healing crisis. “The symptoms you develop during a crisis will guide you as to what to do. If you are tired – rest. If you are thirsty – drink. If you have a fever, your body is trying to build up heat; keep yourself warm and let the heat run its course. For aching muscles, a warm bath might help. Pain in the lower back is often caused by the kidneys crying for water, rather than the result of being sore back muscles. Drink more water. If you have diarrhea or are vomiting, the body is trying to empty itself, so don’t try to eat. You will lose fluids, so you should try to drink water to keep from being dehydrated. Drinking a lot of water during a crisis is usually a good practice because water (especially distilled water) will help to dilute the toxins in the bloodstream and aid their removal.”

When you are going through a healing crisis, it definitely helps to have the guidance and support of a detox expert. The key is to remain calm, focus your mind on healing, and support your body back to health, slowly.

Hering’s Law of Cure

When you’re experiencing a healing crisis, remember the homeopathic law of cure, also known as Hering’s Law of Cure:

Healing occurs from:

1. The inside-out (meaning the from the internal organs first, then to the joints and skin),

2. From the head down (the body clear symptoms in the head first, then to the trunk, hips and toes), and

3. In the reverse order as the symptoms have appeared (your most recent ailments are cleared first).

This is the process the body goes through when returning to a healthy state, naturally of course.

For more on how to start a raw food diet, how to do a detox at home or what minerals you may specifically be deficient in, book a private health consult with me via Skype.

How to Book Your Health & Nutritional Coaching Session:

1. Take photos of your eyes with a digital camera.
2. Email the photos to me for approval.
3. We schedule a time to meet via phone or Skype!

Water fasting is a powerful and intense experience. When done properly, you can have amazing results. It takes a strong-willed individual to be able to successfully do a water fast. The following are some important things to watch out for during your program:

Potassium warning

When I tried my very first water fast, I experienced low potassium levels during my first water fast, and luckily knew to immediately stop.

All information in this article is for educational purposes only.

It is not for the diagnosis, treatment, prescription or cure of any disease or health condition.

If you start to get extreme muscle cramps, to the point where you have trouble standing and feel like you are going to collapse, you could be suffering from a lack of potassium. You may also feel quite distinctly that something is very wrong. If this happens, listen to your body – it is trying to warn you!

I don’t want to scare anyone about this..don’t be alarmed if you feel minor cramping in your calves or arms while fasting. Minor muscle cramps are normal. In that case, just rest and drink more water.

But if the cramps turn severe, then you should seriously think about breaking the fast and taking some juice or liquid minerals right away.

If you quickly start to feel better, you will know that your body needed potassium.

Taste of heavy metals

If you start to experience the taste of metal in your mouth during your fast and it doesn’t go away, you could be detoxifying heavy metals from your body. It’s not a good idea to continue with water if this occurs. Instead, break the fast and consider doing some natural heavy metal detoxing before you consider trying another water fast.

Physical cleansing reactions

There are many cleansing reactions that one can experience during their fast. The most typical ones would include headaches, fatigue, nausea, minor aches and pains, blurred vision, skin rashes or eruptions and trouble sleeping. For headaches especially, you may want to try an organic coffee enema.

Otherwise, just be gentle and patient with your body – rest as much as you possibly can and be grateful to know that your body is finally strong enough to start eliminating excess toxic waste.

If you start to have extreme reactions, it could mean that you did not prepare your body for the fast properly with good intestinal cleansing and healthy eating. You may want to stop, spend more time on your ‘pre-fast’ and then start again.

Heartburn and Acid Reflux

If you feel any heartburn or intense acid reflux during your fast, you could be too acidic internally. The best thing to do is slow down the fast, add some fresh lime or lemon squeezed into your water, and allow your body to alkalize. After you are feeling good, you can go back to pure water.

Keep in mind that if you have continual heartburn during your water fast, that may be a sign that you have acidity from excess toxins in your body, such as chemicals, food additives and heavy metals. You may want to stop the fast and consider doing a colon cleanse, parasite cleanse and heavy metal detox before trying water fasting again.

Emotional cleansing reactions

On my first long water fast, I experienced a lot of negative emotions including sadness, guilt, depression and anger. Usually these types of negative emotions arise more when the liver is cleansing, so take it as a good sign. Your body is pulling these deep-rooted energies out of the cells and is finally releasing them once and for all.

If you want, you can say mantras to yourself such as ‘I am releasing the anger from x person hurting me’ or ‘I am releasing the guilt of (whatever the situation).’ Allow your mind to work with the body to help actively release and be free of these burdens!

Hunger

This is probably the thing people worry about the most when they think about whether or not to try a water fast. I can tell you that in my case, the only real hunger I felt was in my mind! If I thought about food or I saw or smelled food, only then did I start to want it. But my physical body really did not experience hunger pains.

If you do feel a lot of grumbling, first try to drink more water. Always drink small amounts of water at a time so you don’t wind up feeling sick. Try to lie down, meditate and take your mind somewhere else. Think about all the good you are doing for your body. Know that this is your chance to heal in amazing ways. Ask for strength from your Source.

If you start to think about food, try as much as possible to NOT think about junk foods, comfort foods, de-vitalized foods, coffee or alcohol. If you do this, you are creating the seed of energy in your mind to seek those foods out later. For sure you will have a much harder time saying no to them once you break your fast.

Many people even think about such foods so much that they wind up breaking their fast on those very foods!

Be careful what you think about. If you start to fantasize about food, imagine yourself eating all the pure, divine foods from Mother Earth. Visualize having the perfect fruit salad for breakfast, then imagine preparing the most delicious raw salad for lunch and watch yourself eating that wonderful dinner of mixed greens and garlic with a fresh basil pesto dressing. Be creative and have fun in your mind, but keep it healthy!

Surround yourself with positive people: No gossip or negative talk

As much as you possibly can, maintain a circle of supportive friends and loved ones around you during your fast. If someone you know disagrees with what you are doing, don’t tell them right away. If anyone is making you feel less than the perfect person you are, politely avoid them during that time.

Realize that you will be much more sensitive to others and to your own feelings as well. If someone really cares about you, they will understand and do everything they can to support you.

Make a rule for yourself not to engage in any gossip or negative talk about anyone during your fast! These energies spread like wildfire and a wildfire is very hard to put out!

Be positive and loving and you will attract more of the same into your life!

Otherwise try spend a lot of time alone, reading books, health dvds, spending time in nature, keeping motivated and inspired and really connecting to your body. I like the way that Daniel Reid talks about ‘saving your breath’ in his book, The Tao of Detox. He explains how much energy is wasted simply from speaking and to consider talking as little as possible during your fast to keep that energy for your own healing. It makes sense!

Rest even when feeling good

Rest is one of the most important factors in a successful fast. Give the body all the time it needs to do it’s internal healing. If you start to feel really good, it can be very tempting to want to head out for a walk, run to the shops or meet some friends for an outing. As much as you can, try to avoid this temptation! Even when you are feeling good during a water fast, you should still rest as much as possible!

You will benefit so much more in terms of how much your body can achieve with the fast if you rest, rest and then rest even more!

Disclaimer:The information provided on this site is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other health care professional or any information contained on or in any product label or packaging. You should not use the information on this site for diagnosis or treatment of any health problem or for prescription of any medication or other treatment. You should consult with a healthcare professional before starting any diet, exercise or supplementation program, before taking any medication, or if you have or suspect you might have a health problem. You should not stop taking any medication without first consulting your physician. Read full disclaimer here.

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About @healthybliss

Jennifer Thompson has been working with clean food, juices, smoothies and detox for over two decades to help people heal. Today, she shares her expertise worldwide, offering lectures, workshops, training and one-on-one consultations at various health and detox retreat centers. She provides Iridology Readings & Health Coaching via Skype and Phone to clients. When she’s not working, you’ll find her hiking in the mountains, walking along the sea or globe-trotting to a new health destination. >> Read More>

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Disclaimer

The information provided on this site is for informational purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other health care professional or any information contained on or in any product label or packaging. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any diet, exercise or supplementation program, before taking any medication, or if you have or suspect you might have a health problem. Read full disclaimer here.